


Pinky Promise

by aaronschoepf



Category: Original Work
Genre: #gay #lgbt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-06
Updated: 2020-04-06
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:49:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23507887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aaronschoepf/pseuds/aaronschoepf
Summary: pinky-promiseNoun(plural pinky promises)A promise made by entwining pinky fingers.





	Pinky Promise

“Come on! It’ll be fun. Plus, you get to spend a whole 2 hours with me.” Mitchell smiled at me on the desk next to him.  
“Two hours? Thanks for the offer, but I’d rather not freeze to death. I can also think of several things I’d rather do than hang out with you.” I just had to be sitting with the guy who lives to annoy me?  
“I’m so hurt,” Mitch makes a point to pull his face into a large pout directed at me. “And I thought we were close.”  
We both turned to the front of the class as the bell rang. Mitchell Owens has lived to annoy me, Brian Wilson, since the beginning of freshman year. I try my best to avoid him, but that’s kinda hard when you’ve had every class together.  
“Today I’m introducing a new project. You’ll have the next three months to work on it with your partners.” Every kid in the classroom excitedly looks at their friends. Mr. Simmons never allows partner work. Almost everything he assigns either in large groups or independent work. This is the first.  
Simmons coughs to get the class back in check, and after everyone is quiet, he softly chuckles.  
“Unfortunately, I’ve already chosen the partners you’re going to work with.” A groan erupts in unison. Kids excitement levels going to an all-time low  
“I know, I know. This project is on identity. Who are YOU? Not just what you look like, or what you act like in front of your friends. Who you are deep inside. There’s no real work except for a final essay.” Whispers are passed around the room about what each person would write about.  
In that case, What would I write about? ‘My name is Brian Wilson. I have friends who enjoy my company. I go to high school and I get good grades.’ Or would I have to go deeper? Explaining my deep “dark” feelings? I think talking about being in love with a straight guy who doesn’t even think of you as a friend is a little too personal for this. Or maybe the deep-rooted internalized homophobia? Yeah, I don’t think so. To be fair though, is that all my identity is? My insecurities?  
I look to my right and watch Mitch doodle a small flower on the corner of his paper. I don’t exactly know when I thought of him in that way. Maybe it was him jokingly flirting with me, or the sparkle his eyes get when he’s messing with me. It doesn’t help that he’s one of the most attractive guys I’ve ever seen. He’s skinny, but he covers it up with baggy hoodies and jeans. His black hair curls slightly at the ends and his brown eyes speak more than his words ever could. Maybe it was his stupid jokes, and the sincere way he would apologize if he thought he’d offended me. Or the persistent way he would ask to hang out constantly, even though I constantly shoot him down or come up with an excuse. I would like to get to know him one day, but would I be able to open up in return? Would I ever be able to tell anyone who I really am?  
I look back up toward Mr. Simmons, Mitch too busy with his flower to notice my staring.  
“I’m going to call out your partners, so listen up cause I’m only going to say this once.”  
He lists the name methodically, the order and pairing seemingly random.  
“Finally, Mitchell Owens and Brian Wilson” He puts the list aside and starts writing down notes on a separate piece of paper.  
My jaw drops and I hear a whispered, “Yes” from next to me. I look over and Mitch is doing a little victory dance. He grins widely at me.  
“Now, you’re gonna HAVE to hang out with me.” He finally stops, smiles wide, and presumes his little paper meadow.  
I stare at the paper on my desk. I’m going to have to hang out with Mitchell almost every day in order to get this project done. Mr.Simmons isn’t lenient and definitely won’t let me switch partners.  
I don’t know whether I’m elated or terrified.  
_______________________________________________________________________  
“Hey! Wait up.” I hear Mitch’s footsteps hurrying behind me.  
I groan. The doors were so close. I was almost free. Mitch falls into step with me, and we walk out the door. The cold air bites my cheeks and I stuff my hands in my pockets.  
“Trying to get away from me?” He chuckles as he puts a beanie on his head.  
“Exactly, we can start tomorrow or something.” I need time to mentally prepare myself. I’m not ready, I can’t be alone with this kid right now. Not just for him to mess with me the whole time. Or maybe I don’t want to fall any harder right now. Either way, I’m not ready.  
“Nope, we’re starting right here, right now.”  
I roll my eyes and try walking faster. Mitch also walks faster to keep up with me.  
“Where are we gonna go then?” I raise my eyebrows waiting for something dumb like a movie or something  
“a private place, somewhere I go sometimes when I need to be alone.”  
“Why so personal?” I didn’t expect his idea of hanging out would be somewhere the two of us would be totally alone. Somewhere he hasn’t taken his closest friends. We barely talk, why would he bring me somewhere he doesn’t take anyone else for a stupid project?  
“I don’t know, I just feel like you’d appreciate it the most. Now, follow me. It’s a lot closer than you may think” He grabs my hand and drags me to the overgrown forest behind the school. He takes so many turns that I’m pretty sure I would’ve gotten lost if he hadn’t been holding my hand the entire time. The fact that he was holding my hand the entire time kind of distracted me from paying attention to the scenery. I’m hyper fixated on the way his hand fits in mine. The way his hand just feels right.  
Suddenly, an old structure stretched out before me. There were stone pillars surrounding the small area, and it seemed to be untouched. The only entrance was in the back. It was covered in weeds and thorns, so it took us a while to get through it. It seemed to be totally devoid of human contact for years.  
“Woah”.  
The inside of the structure was beautiful. A tree in the corner had a treehouse sitting in one of the lower branches, and a small garden in the one corner of the structure. There was a huge fire pit in the middle of the structure, with some logs to sit on.  
Mitchell chuckled, “Uh yeah. I’m kind of into gardening. It would look a whole lot cooler if it was summer, I swear.”  
My smile grew even wider, he’s such a dork. “Mitch, this is awesome! Did you do all of this yourself?” I blush, I’ve never actually used his nickname straight to his face before.  
“Everything except the treehouse. My dad helped me build that. He’s the only other person who’s seen this place other than you and me.”  
He puts his foot on the ladder and begins to climb it, “Cmon, I have more to show you. Should give you lots of information for Simmons' class.”  
The treehouse was small. There was a shelf with a bunch of books on it, and no furniture, just a bunch of beanbags, pillows, blankets spread around. In the middle was a bean bag big enough to be a bed, with all the blankets on top of it.  
“I come up here sometimes when being in the real world feels like too much, y’know?” He sits down on one of the bean bags and pats the one next to him.  
I sit down next to him, and my heart skips a beat. This isn’t going to end well if I can’t even sit next to him with getting flustered.  
“Why’d you bring me here? We’re not exactly friends.” He sighs and turns his legs into a pretzel position.  
“Why do you think I’ve been messing with you since freshman year? Asking you to hang out literally every day? It’s because I WANT to be friends with you, idiot.”  
Everything suddenly clicked into place. How have I not seen it before? He always did look a little sad every time I would decline his offers. I thought it was just an act.  
“You never knew, did you?”. My face must’ve said it all.  
“I’m so sorry,” I scoot a little closer, to somehow make the apology a little more sincere.  
“Well, if it somehow makes it up, I will gladly spend a lot of time with you from now on. Not only for the project.”  
He smiles a little, and I can’t help thinking about how happy he looks about this. It’s adorable. I banish the thought. If we’re gonna be friends, I can’t allow some stupid feelings to get in the way.  
He sticks his hand out toward me, “Friends?”  
I look up and smile at him back, “Friends.” I shake his hand to seal the deal.  
________________________________________________________________________

Falling in love happened right under my nose.

Mitch and I have hung out every day. Every. Day. Just like he promised. Being his friend has been an...interesting time. In school, he’ll mess around, make people laugh, the “class clown”. But, when it’s just us...it’s like his façade falls. He actually talks to me about his problems. That took more time then I’d care to admit to getting him to trust me enough in the three months of hanging out. Now, I can see the mask he puts on every day. I wish I could show him that he’s nowhere near broken. That he doesn’t need a mask just to please others. I understand why Simmons had us do this project now. It’s because people have so many layers of different personalities. It takes more than just an interview or something to see that. I’ve seen more in Mitch than I’ve ever seen in anyone else. He’s not perfect, but he doesn’t have to be. He’s human, and that’s exactly how I fell in love with him. I’ve seen so many aspects of him, and now I can’t even imagine him not being in my life.

“Hey, pay attention or else you won’t know the very interesting topic of “Identity in the eyes of society is fake ``'' I jump at the sound of Mitch’s voice next to me as it cuts through my thoughts.

I lean toward him, whispering so Simmons doesn’t catch me, “Isn’t this whole project supposed to be on Identity? How is it supposed to be fake?” He smiles at my remark, and something passes across his face. He turns back to the front of the room.

As soon as the bell rings I catch up with Mitch in the hallway.

“Treehouse?” I ask it every day, but I still ask it at the sake of it changing.

“Um yeah, yeah. I’ll meet you there in a bit.” We’ve always walked there together. His head is down, and his voice cracks on the last word. Something is seriously wrong, I’ve never seen him like this. I’ve seen him upset, but not in front of many people. He’s walking extremely fast, and I basically have to run to stay in step with him. By the time we’re behind the school I’m actually running to keep up with him.

“Hey, what’s wrong? I can tell something is up, you’re not looking at me.”

“Nothing. Everything. Just,” his eyes fill up with tears “Meet me at the treehouse”  
Suddenly, he’s gone, running in the direction of the treehouse.

I’m stuck in place. I literally have NO idea how I’m supposed to react to that. What was that even about? From the time I’ve known him he’s never reacted like that. I start of in the direction of the treehouse, hoping I don’t fuck anything up.

Even before I reach the handle of the trapdoor of the treehouse I can hear sniffles coming from inside. I close it behind me and look around. I find Mitch in a mound of blankets that seem to include every single blanket he’s brought in.

I get to him as fast as I possibly can and wrap my arms around him. I don’t know what’s going on with him, but I’m still gonna be here.

He leans into me and starts to cry even harder, sobbing into my chest. I pull him closer and whisper, “It’s okay” over and over in his ear while I run my hands through his hair.

“I’m not going anywhere, Mitch, don’t worry.”

I hold him for what feels like hours in silence. I held him until his sobs turned into soft sniffles. Even then, I didn’t let go.

“Brian?” He finally breaks the silence, and he looks up at me. His eyes are still red and puffy.

“What’s up? You can talk to me.” he doesn’t pull himself out of my arms, just repositions himself so he can face me. He takes a deep breath before speaking.

“I kinda figured something out. About myself. It sounds really dumb because it was during this stupid identity project. I don’t know what to do, Brian. Everyone is going to hate me. I can’t control this, and I'm so afraid that you’re going to leave.” Tears begin falling down his face again, even though he’s trying hard to not let them.

“I’m not leaving, ever. You could tell me you killed someone and I’d help you hide the body.” He laughs a little bit, and I smile too. I’m glad I could help him feel a little better.

“We’ve hung out every day for 3 months. If something is bothering you, I can tell.”

“Ugh, I know.” He wipes his eyes and sniffles. He sticks his pinky out.

“Pinky promise me, you’ll stay my friend when I tell you this.” I put my pinky in his and squeeze it. I lock my eyes in his.

“I promise.” He lets his hands fall to his lap and looks at them.

“I think I like boys. Like, as in, romantically. This very specific boy made me realize this, but then I had a feeling that I’ve liked boys and just never realized it.

Mitch. Likes. Boys.  
Romantically.  
I’m most likely not in love with a straight boy after all. It doesn’t mean he’s into me, but he still possibly likes boys.

“Say something. Please.” He’s scared. He doesn’t know I’m gay. He thinks I’m gonna leave him because he’s not straight. I grab his hands, hoping it’ll convey my support for him.

“Did you seriously think I’d leave you and stop being friends with you for something as simple as your sexuality? That’s not YOU. It’s a part of you, and I’m your friend. I’m here for ALL of you. Not just the “normal” parts.”

It seems as if he was holding up the entire world, and he finally let it off his shoulders.

“Thank you, so much.” 

“Y’know, I went through basically the same thing once. It gets easier and one day you’ll realize it isn’t a bad thing. You can be proud of yourself, not ashamed.”

“Wait...you…?” It’s almost like he’s gossiping and doesn’t want to say the secret out loud even though it’s just the two of us.

“Yes, I like boys. “In a romantic way”.” He giggles at me quoting him.

“I’ve known for a while, so I’ve already freaked out about everything you are. So you don’t need to be afraid to talk to me, or even ask me questions.”

“How’d you realize?” He sits up and takes only one blanket that he wraps around his shoulders.

I smile. It was him. He made me realize, way back in freshman year. I realized I like boys because I like HIM. Of course I “liked” other guys, but he’s always been the one I really liked.

“Similar to you. There was a particular boy that stirred feelings. I denied it for a really long time. Until I realized it wasn’t really a bad thing. Although this particular boy was straight, which sucks sometimes.”

“Do you still have feelings for him? Do they ever go away?” His eyes seem hopeful. Like maybe he won’t have to deal with the heartbreak that goes along with falling in love with someone who’s unavailable

“I do, but I don’t think anything is going to happen with him.” I look away so I don’t give away everything from my red face.

Mitchell scoots a little closer to me, “I hope it works out with him, you deserve it, Brian. He doesn’t know what he’s missing.”

“Neither does your boy.” We laugh. I don’t know how I’m supposed to function now. It’s not that he’s straight. I could handle that. Now he likes someone else, and that somehow hurts so much more.

“Thank you. I honestly don’t know what I would do without you. You’re my lifeline.”

That statement makes my heart hurt. I’ll always just be his friend, and nothing more.

“Come on, we should go. It’s getting dark.” I help him up off the floor.

We fold the blankets and put them in the corner with the bean bags and throw the pillows on top with them.

“You ready?” He looks at me as I throw the last blanket to the corner.

“Yeah, let’s go.”

We lock the trapdoor and climb down the ladder. It’s already dark. I still have no idea where I’m going, so I stick as close as I can to Mitch as I can without being weird.

Mitch looks really deep in thought as we walk through the dark woods, and keeps biting his lips.

“Brian, what should I do about my crush on this certain boy? Part of me wants to just tell him and get it out of the way. But the other part is afraid of how he’s gonna react. What if he hates me for catching feelings for him? Especially since I’m a boy too.”

I stop so I can think my answer through carefully.

“You have to decide that for yourself. Telling him is a risk, especially because you have no idea how he’s gonna respond. But isn’t the point of life to take risks, even if they don’t work out how we want them too?”

Damn, if only I could take my own advice.

“I’m still scared, he’s the only person I’ve ever felt this way about.” He sits down on a rock close to the exit of the woods. I could hear cars bustling past on the main road.

“Don’t be, no matter what happens it’ll all work out. On one hand, you might get a boyfriend,” I wink at him and he smiles as his face goes red.

“Or, you have a new story to tell, and learn from.”

He smiles sadly, “I just don’t want to be hurt.”

“Does anyone? It’s part of life, and if it does hurt I’m going to be here to help you get through it.”

We sit in silence for a few minutes. I wish I could help him through this. Even if it’s not with me I want him to be happy.

“Brian?”

“Yeah?” I turn my head toward him.

Suddenly his lips were on mine. I jumped a little from the surprise. He pulls away much too soon.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry. I should’ve realized you weren’t into me. You were just talking about taking risks and I wasn’t thinking.”

I grab his face and kiss him as hard as I can. I pull him as close as our bodies will allow and I won' stop kissing him until we’re both out of breath.

“Woah.” He’s breathing heavily with a huge stupid grin on his face.

“Just for your information, I definitely don’t hate that you have feelings for me.” I touch our foreheads together. He grabs my hand as we sit in comfortable silence together.

“Why’d you never want to hang out?” He looks confused, and I realize he probably thought I didn’t want to hang out with him because I didn’t like him as a person. That couldn’t be more untrue

I sigh, I knew he was going to bring that up.

“Because according to my knowledge, you were straight. I didn’t want to get my hopes up by hanging out with you.”I laugh, it sounds so stupid now that I say it out loud.

“So, did you get your hopes up?” He uses his thumb to rub circles on my hands.

“A little bit, and now I’d say I’m pretty hopeful.”

“So, Brian,” He scoots over to completely face me.

“Do I have a new boyfriend or a story to tell?” 

I didn’t realize how much I needed to hear those words until now.

I can’t stop smiling, and it’s actually starting to hurt.

“Mitch, of course. I’ve never wanted anyone more than I want you. I’ll be the best boyfriend I can be.”

His face is tinted red. He’s smiling stupidly, “Me too,” 

He sticks out his pinky in between the space between our faces, “Pinky promise?”

I put my pinky around his small one and squeeze, “Pinky promise.”


End file.
